Protective helmet.



6. LA F. STOCKS.

PROTECTIVE HELMET.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. 1915.

1,199,629. Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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PROTECTIVE HELMET.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. 1915.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Z9 /fl INVENTOH 625627162 71. 570015 WITNESSES;

BYW.

A TTOR/VEYS ATENT 'OFFIG.

PROTECTIVE HELMET.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE L. STocKs, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Blue Ridge, in thecounty of Fanning and State of Georgia, have invented an Improvement inProtective Helmets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in wearing apparel, and has particularreference to a helmet adapted to protect the head of the wearer againstinjury due to severe falls or blows.

Briefly stated, the invention includes a resilient supporting ringadapted to fit over the head of the wearer and having con nected theretoa skull .Cap, a padded sweat band and, at intervals, a plurality ofvertically arranged guards the upper ends of which are bent to convergeand are secured together whereby to form a protective cushion for thehead so that the shock of a blow will be effectively distributed. Inorder to reinforce the vertical guards and provide a further protectionthere is also employed a plurality of annular horizontally arrangedguards which are connected to said vertlcal guards in spaced relation. I

An object of the invention is to provide a novel means of adjusting thesize of the supporting ring in order to accommodate different sizedheads, the skull cap and sweat band being so secured to said ring as notto interfere with said adjustment. The vertical guards are alsoconnected to said ring in a manner to permit of relative movementbetween the same when adjusting the latter.

Another object is the provision of vertically arranged guards which areformed so that-the portions thereof most likely to receive a blow orshock are spaced a sufiicient distance from the head to prevent the samebeing injured.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety ofmechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustratingthe invention, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a side elevation of the invention showing the application thereof.Fig. 2 is a top plan view, a part being broken away. Fig. 3 is anenlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is atransverse section on'the line of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similarsection onthe l ne 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed October 1, 1915.' Serial No. 58,504.

view of one end of one of the vertically arvided around its upper andlower edges with a plurality of small openings 11, the upper openingsbeing adapted to receive stitches for securing the lower edge of a skullcap 12 to said element, said cap being adapted to engage closely overthe wearers head. The lower row of openings is used for the purpose ofsecuring one edge of a padded sweat band 13 to said element. The ring 10is made adjustable in order that it maybe fitted .to different sizedheads and for this purpose one end of said ring is slotted as indicatedat 14, said'slot being adapted to receive the shank of a screw 15therein having a nut 16 for the purpose of securing the ends of the ringtogether after the same have been adjusted to the desired position.

The slotted end of the ring is reduced upon cap, secured to the outerend of the ring,

will occupy the space between the flanges 17 and said outer end wherebyany jamming, which might otherwise occur when adjusting said ring, willbe prevented.

At regular intervals around the ring 10 the same is provided with aplurality of slots 18, each of which is adapted to receive a guide 19secured in spaced relation to one end of a vertically arranged guard 20which is preferably made of an elongated strip of resllient metal. Thelower edge of each slot 18 is adapted to engage between the guide 19 anda guard 20 so that the latter is retained in position and the slot ismade of sufiicient length to ermit of an adjustment of the ring 10 whichadjustment is made from the wearers head. The uppermost portions 21 ofthe guards are then curved to conform substantially to the shape of ahead and the upper ends meet and are secured to a plate 22 by means ofrivets 23 thus forming, a crown portion for the helmet. When in positionon the wearers head one .of the vertical guards depends directly infront of the nose .so that the sight is unimparcd..

Obliquely arranged guards may also be employed in connection with thevertical and horizontal guards. In order to further protect the head andprovide reinforcement for the several vertically arranged guards 20there are also provided a plurality of horizontally arranged guards 24in the form of annular rings secured to the outer faces of the verticalguards and arranged in superposed relation, the bottom edge of the upperguard being preferably in horizontal alinement with the upper edge ofthe ring 10 and the upper edge of the lower guard being in similaralinement with the lower edge of said ring 10.

It will be seen from the foregoing description taken in connection withthe ac-' companying drawings that the invention contemplates providingan improved helmet which will effectively protect the head of the weareragainst the shocks caused by .blows or accidental falls.

What is claimed is 1. A helmet comprising a main supporting member forencircling the wearers head,

a plurality of guards connected to said memher, and means for adjustingsaid supporting member relative to said guards in order to vary thediameter of said member.

2. A helmet comprising a main supporting element, a plurality of guardsconnected thereto, other guards mounted transversely to the first-namedguards, and a skull cap carried by said supporting element.

3. A helmet comprising a main supporting member for encircling thewearers head, and a plurality of vertically arranged guards havingintermediate portions extending below said member and their lowerextremities secured thereto for protecting the lower portion of thehead.

4. A helmet comprising a main supporting element, a plurality of guardsconnected thereto, other guards mounted transversely to the first-namedguards, a skull cap carried by said supporting element, and a paddedsweat band secured to said supporting element. I

5. A helmet comprising a main supporting element adapted to encircle theWearers head, a plurality of guards connected to said element, otherguards secured to the first-named guards and arranged transverselythereof, and means for adjusting a skull cap secured to said ring andhaving a portion thereof interposed between one of said flanges and theadjacent face of said ring, a sweat band also secured to said ring, anda plurality of resilient guards connected to said ring and adapted toform a crown for the helmet.

7. A helmet comprising a split supporting ring, one end of which isreduced and provided with a slot, said reduced end being provided withlateral flanges upon its upper and lower edges whereby portions of saidend are spaced from the opposite end of the ring, a skull cap secured tosaid ring and having a portion thereof interposed between one of saidflanges and the adjacent face of said ring, a sweat band also secured tosaid ring, a plurality of resilient guards connected to said ring andadapted to form a crown, for the helmet, said guards including stripsthe upper ends of which converge, and a plate for securing said upperends together.

8. A helmet comprising a main supporting member for encircling thewearers head, a plurality of vertically arranged guards havingintermediate portions extending below said member and their lowerextremities secured thereto for protecting the lower portion of thehead, and other horizontally arranged guards secured to the first-namedguards.

9. A helmet comprising a main supporting element having a plurality ofslots therein, a guard associated with each slot and having a guideconnected thereto adapted to engage one edge of said slot to permit ofan adjustment of said element, and means for adjusting said element tovary the diameter thereof.

10. A helmet comprising a main supporting element having a plurality ofslots therein, a guard associated with each slot and having a guideconnected thereto adapted to engage one edge of said slot to permit ofan adjustment of said element, means for adjusting said element to varythe diameter thereof, and other guards secured to the first-named guardsand arranged transversely thereto.

' CLARENCE LA FAYETTE STOCKS.

Witnesses:

W. LLDAvIs, E. A. WALDROOP.

